Collapsible protective canopy



Sept. 10, 1935; H. MARTINSON COLLAPSIBLE PROTECTIVE CANOPY Filed April 4, 1934 Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica COLLAPSIBLE FROTECTIVE CANOPY Helen Martinson, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 4, 1934, Serial No. 718,944 6 Claims. (01. 65-16) The present invention pertains to protective covers or canopies of an expansible and collapsible nature, having for its primary object the provision of a dust-proof, preferably transparcut, canopy adapted to be placed over articles of food or over a stack of plates or other dishes, drinking glasses, etc. and which, when collapsed on the shelf of the dealer or in the linen drawer or china closet of the housewife, occupies a minimum of space.

Features of the invention are the low cost of manufacture, economy of space required by a reserve stock, attractive appearance and efiiciency as a protection against dust and the access of air whereby articles of food, such as cakes, rolls and the like, are kept in a normal condition, not readily subject to drying out or the absorbing of moisture from humid air; whereby dishes,

glassware, silver and the like are protected from dust and flies; and whereby flowers, fruit and such are protected from draft to avoid withering while subjected to cold whether adjacent an open window or under artificial refrigeration.

In order ,that the invention may be readily g5 understood a preferred embodiment of the same is hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying illustrated drawing, wherein Fig. 1 represents a strip of material creased along lines of fold;

30 Fig. 2 is a top plan of the canopy when folded;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan;

Fig. 4 is a, view of the expanded canopy; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4. It is to be understood that the. essential fea- 35 tures of the invention may be embodied in other forms differing from that illustrated and hereinafter described in the relative locations of the lines of fold and the number of such lines, resulting in a finished article of different contour;

40 wherefore the particular embodiment here illustrated and described is to be taken as typical and not as limiting the invention other than is required by the prior art.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in 45 Fig. 1 an elongated rectangular strip of material I I, preferably transparent such as Cellophane", which may be gummed along one end as indicated at i2. The broken line l3 represents a medial line of crease or fold extending longi- 50 tudinally of the strip midway between its sides.

The dot and dash lines M which extend transversely of the sheet represent lines of crease or fold parallel to each other and at right angles or normal to the line l3; while dot lines I5 extend- 55 mg diagonally or at an oblique angle to the medial line i3 also represent parallel lines of crease or fold intersecting the lines l3 and H at common points IS. The normal and oblique lines of each set preferably extend from edge to edge of the sheet and intersect the medial line 5 at a series of equally spaced points common to all three, the medial line thus bisecting both the normal and'oblique lines into parts preferably equal.

The finished article may be formed by folding 10 along the medial line I3 and also along the transverse lines 14 in the same direction, that is to say, all of said folds would be convex as related to the surface of the flat sheet; and a subsequent folding along the oblique lines would be in the 15 opposite direction, that is to say, such oblique folds would be concave as related to the surface of the sheet.

When the folding is completed, there is formed a flat product of polygonal contour, here shown 20 as octagonal, having substantially identical upper and lower faces constituted of overlapping folded portions presenting a geometrical outline of general swastika design, most clearly shown in Fig. 3. The ends I! of the sheet now lie in juxtaposed position overlapping to the extent of the distance between the left hand end l2 of Fig. 1. and the adjacent line H and they are secured together by the moistening of the gummed end. The opening up of the folds constituting the upper face of the article may be prevented by securing the same together in any way but preferably by applying therecver a polygonal sticker ll having a shape, here shown as octagonal, corresponding to that of the folded body itself but of smaller size so that the outline of said sticker will correspond to lines connecting the extreme corners of each folded-over portion. This is most clearly shown in Fig. 2. The sticker I! may carry an ornamental imprint or the trade- 40 mark or name of the manufacturer.

The folds of the lower'face being unsecured, they may be opened up and the article expanded into inverted cup form of polygonal cross section with vertical walls as shown in Fig. 4; thus constituting a canopy which may be dropped over dishes, glassware, silver and articles of food for their protection against air interchange, dust and the like.

Obviously the size of thecanopy may be varied opaque or semi-transparent paper or a fully transparent material, such' as Cellophane. The articles, when formed and in the collapsed condition illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, occupy no more space than a folded paper napkin, and a large quantity of the same can be held in reserve for sale or use in a very small space. The simplicity of construction and inexpensiveness of material make for economy of manufacture and consequent low price at which it may be sold.

I claim:

1. A protective device of the character described comprising an elongated sheet of material folded along a medial line and along other lines normal to the first and along other lines oblique to the first, all lines of fold extending from edge to edge of the sheet, the normal and oblique lines folded to face in opposite directions and crossing each other and the medial line at a common point, the ends of the sheet secured together and the folds at one side of the medial line secured against opening, whereby isproduced a flat device which upon opening up of the unsecured folds will be expanded into inverted cup form of polygonal section with vertical walls.

2. A protective device of the character described comprising an elongated sheet of material folded along a single medial line and along other lines normal to the first and along other lines oblique to the first, all lines of fold extending from edge to edge of the sheet, the normal andoblique lines folded to face in opposite directions and crossing each other and the medial line at a common point, the ends of the sheet secured together and the folds at one side of the medial line secured against opening, whereby is produced a flat device which upon opening up of the unsecured folds will be expanded into inverted cup form of polygonal section with vertical walls.

3. A protective device of the character described comprising an elongated sheet of transparent material folded along a medial line and along other lines normal to thefirst and along other lines oblique to the first, all lines of fold extending from edge to edge of the sheet, the normal and oblique lines folded to face in opposite directions, the three lines of fold intersecting only at a series of points intermediate the length of each and equally spaced longitudinally of the sheet, the ends of the sheet secured together and the folds at one side of the medial line secured against opening, whereby is produced a flat device which upon opening up of the unsecured folds will be expanded into inverted cup form of polygonal section with vertical walls.

4. A protective device of the character described comprising an elongated sheet of Cellophane folded along a single medial line and along other lines normal to the first and. along other lines oblique to the first, all lines of fold extending from edge to edge of the sheet, the normal and oblique lines folded to face in opposite directions and crossing each other and the medial line at a common point, the ends of the sheet secured together and the folds at one side of the medial line secured against ope 'ng, whereby is produced a flat device which pon opening up of the unsecured folds will be expanded into inverted cup form of polygonal section with vertical walls.

5. A protective device of the character 'described comprising an elongated sheet of Cellophane material folded'along a single medial line and alongother lines normal to the first and along other lines oblique to the first, allv lines of fold extending from edge to edge of the sheet, the normal and oblique lines folded to face in opposite directions and crossing each other and the medial line at a common point, the ends of the sheet secured together and the folds at one side of the medial line secured against opening, whereby is produced a flat product of polygonal contour having substantially identical upper and lower faces constituted of overlapping folded portions presenting a geometrical outline of general swastika design, and means to secure the overlapping folds of the upper face against opening,

"the folds of the lower face unsecured whereby to permit the device to be opened up and expanded into inverted-cup form of polygonal section with .closed top and open bottom and vertical walls.

6. A protective device of the character described comprising an elongated sheet 0 transparent material creased along-a medial ongitudinal line and also along transverse lines both normal to and diagonally of and intersecting the medial line at a longitudinally spaced series of points common to all three sets of lines, said sheet folded on the medial line and also along the transverse lines, the direction of fold alternat ing as between the normal and diagonal lines, and the two ends of the material joined, whereby is formed a flat product of octagonal contour having substantially identical upper and lower faces constituted of overlapping folded portions presenting a geometrical outline of general swastika design, and a correspondingly shaped octagonal sticker centrally attached to the upper face whereby to secure the overlapping folds against opening, the folds of the lower face unsecured whereby to permit the device to be opened up and expanded into inverted cup form of octagonal section with closed top, open bottom and vertical walls.

HELEN MARTIN'SON. 

